Copiah proves too tough for Rebels
Last year, the Copiah Academy Colonels put a 47-6 whipping on the Leake Academy Rebels in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
This season, the Rebels came in with a different game plan but the results were still the same.
The Rebels threw for 273 yards and three TDs but the Colonels had 465 yards of total offense and took a 47-21 win over Leake on Friday night in Madden.
Leake falls to 1-5 on the season and will hit the road this week to take on 2-4 Pillow Academy.
Leake coach Brian Pickens said he thought the Rebels had a good game plan but Copiah’s speed and athleticism eventually took over.
“I thought we came in with a good game plan on offense and executed for the most part,” Pickens said. “We had some drops that hurt us early that would have made a difference in the first half. We gave them a lot of different looks on defense but had trouble slowing them down. They’ve got some really explosive players on offense and you really have to pick your poison on what you are going to try to stop. The kids played hard all the way to the end and continue to practice hard and do what we ask them to do.”
The Rebels got the ball to start the game and went three and out. Copiah then marched down the field and scored on a 3-yard run to go up 7-0 with 7:40 left in the first quarter.
Leake responded and drove the field as they went late in the first quarter. After a big 46-yard completion to Matthan Weaver, the Rebels scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from George Wilcox to Matthew Nowell with 2:12 left in the first quarter. Nowell hit the PAT and Leake tied the game at 7-7.
Copiah took the lead back in the second and pulled away with three scores. The first was a 52-yard touchdown pass with 11:09 left in the half to go up 14-7. Copiah then scored on a pair of 5-yard runs late in the second quarter as they pulled away for a 27-7 lead.
The Colonels got the ball to start the second half and ripped off a 68-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the half. Copiah punched it in on a 3-yard run and led 34-7.
The score stayed at 34-7 until the early fourth quarter when Copiah scored on a 3-yard run with 11:17 left ion the game to go up 40-7.
Leake then got the offense going as Wilcox connected with Nowell on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 7:25 left in the game. Nowell also hit the PAT to cut the score to 40-14.
After forcing a Copiah punt, Leake added another score as Wilcox hit Nowell on a 5-yard pass. Nowell hit the PAT to cut the score to 40-21.
The Colonels then returned the ensuing kick 82 yards for the final of 47-21.
The Rebels had 273 yard passing and 73 rushing for 346 yards of total offense while Copiah had 252 yards rushing and 213 passing for 465 yards of total offense.
Wilcox was 23-of-46 passing for 273 yards with three TDs and one interception. Weaver had 10 catches for 145 yards while Nowell had four catches for 65 yards with two TDS. Ben Jackson had six catches for 50 yards while Jack Harkins had one catch for 13 yards.
John David Gill led the rushing attack with 57 yards on nine carries while Charlie Brantley had 32 yards on 10 carries.
On defense, Harkins led the Rebels with eight tackles while Coby Kemp had 7.6 tackles. Camden Marble had 5.5 tackles while Matthew Nowell had four tackles. Tyler Winstead had 2.5 tackles while Carter Pigg, Joshua Gray and Grayson McDonald had two tackles apiece.
After two straight weeks at home, the Rebels will hit the road and travel to Greenwood to take on Pillow Academy.
The Mustangs are 2-4 on the season with wins over Heritage (28-20) and Lee (24-21). They have losses to Jackson Academy (42-7), Jackson Prep (48-14), Bayou (37-7) and Starkville (28-0).
“I think we are a lot alike,” Pickens said. “They are young like us and have struggled like we have. I know they are hungry to get a win just like we are. Their coaching staff does a good job and I expect it to be a good football game.”